Succes Masra lawyers seek amnesty after Chad pardon

Lawyers for Chad opposition leader Succes Masra called on President Mahamat Idriss Deby on August 21, 2026, to grant him amnesty after he was recently released from prison by presidential pardon.

Masra, a former prime minister and leader of the opposition Transformers party, had been serving a 20-year sentence for incitement to hatred and complicity in murder. President Deby pardoned him last week after more than a year in prison.

Because Masra received a pardon rather than an amnesty, his conviction remains on his criminal record. That leaves him ineligible for office and legally barred from leading his party. A fine of 1 billion CFA francs, about $1.8 million, also remains in force.

At a press conference at the Transformers party headquarters, Masra's lawyers said an amnesty would go further by erasing the criminal consequences of the case under conditions set by law. Legal spokesperson Jacqueline Moudeina said the pardon could be the start of a broader reconciliation process.

Human Rights Watch also called for Masra's conviction to be overturned. The group described the charges as trumped-up and said they were intended to silence him.

Chad, a central African country of about 20 million people, has been led by Deby since 2021, after a military transition following the death of his father, longtime ruler Idriss Deby Itno. In October 2025, Chad adopted constitutional changes creating a renewable seven-year presidential term with no re-election limit, a move Human Rights Watch said further weakened prospects for democratic change.